Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-02-04

from the legislation pending now. from s ~
appropriations that have been made. from, ~
increase Of salaries asked, some OF -h;as
we're granted, that this reduction wo,ld aa
be easily attained. He referred TO the Wv, w.
of such large number of voters, I4o ooo
taken from their labors twice in one YEA, =.
a loss to ihem,-many of them needing III.
extra days wsge',-ani at a loss to the in
dustrial pursuits of the State. lie called -,
tention to the fact that in 1873 ~.
amendment now proposed passed both b,.oan
es of the legislature by the requisite ~"
thirds. and on the following day the Ssn.,.
reconsidered its action and by an almo..
equally large msj GRITTY reversed it. He AZ
not know whether the voice Of the nsonis
was dreaded and feared on that occasion br,
certainty they were deprived Of their ,gs,
TO vote upon it. lie believed there had No,
been a session OF the legislature since ,b.,
time at which this subject was broached
He cited The fact that % States of III.
Union now hold their elections on the day nv
which this resolution provided the Stats .,
Maine should hold Its election He b.a
heard the argument suggested that the nso.
pie don't want this change, that th,y ,,a
glad of the holiday afforded them by ,hs
present way of holding the elections. Hs
thought the elections matters of too mncs
/
not think, however, that the people desired
holidays in September. He alluded to Tho
fact that our large class of fishermen are All.
sent at that time of the year, as much so a,
| the lumbermen are in the month VI Noysn.
| Der. He thought one balanced the Other l,
il did not overoalance it.
He did not expect TO have this resoluto,
adopted by the required two-thrds vote. INIT
he hoped to have such large majority in
favor of it as would indicate the desire Of thu
people for it.
Mr. Powers thought the argument of IN.
honorable gentlemen based chiefly anon
Two things. One of the arguments was th.,
no fual action would be taken here by th,
resolve, that the simple proposition was to
ubmit the question to the people and Tim,
avoid the responsibility which the constitu.
ton places upon the legislature of the State
He ished to know what this legislature Wa
to submit to the people. Was il everything
that foated on the breath of public opinion
or was it only those matters which commend
themselves to the legislatures judgment? He
thought it was the latter, under the constitu.
ton for when the constitution was framed
everything of this nature was discussed, and
| it was decided that those matters should be
submitted to the people which. iu the iudy
| ment of two thirds of the legislature, were
deemed necessary He said that this consti.
tutional responsibility could not be thrown
off, and the question simply passed over to
| the people for them to vote upon. 1t could
not be submitted to them unless il wa,
deemed necessary in the judgment of two.
| thirds of each branch of the legislature. He
thought the honorable gentleman's record
would prove that this was the position he
| took himself.
And SO in his judgment this matter was to
be discussed here the same any other mat.
ter. In his opinion, the burden was upon
those who proposed this amendment to show
the necessity for it. One of their arguments
for it was the expense. Well he
thought there might be little
more expense, but it did not appear
that the people complained Of il He thought
it a little singular that when this Legislature
had been sitting here four weeks, and petit
tons upon petitions had been pouring in up
on all kinds of matters, from the adjustment
of the death penalty to bounty on crows,
not one single petition had come in asking
for this change in the law. He referred to
the fact that this subject was fully discussed
| in the constitutional convention OF this State,
i'll which sat a body of such learned men, men
OF influence ana position. He said twas
fully discussed, and after due consideration
|
was decided upon and it had remained so for
three-quarters of century. He said it vas
fixed at that time because it was believed to
be the best time, best suited to the CONVEX
fence of the bulk of the people, and in his
Judgment it had proven so. He believed
everybody knew that the weather was better
| for this purpose in September than in No
! vember. He asserted ii TO be essential TO the
| political education o. the people that popular
discussion should be held at elections, aud be
did not believe that there were any places ia
Maine, unless a few points on The coast,
where open-air meetings could be held 10
September.
| He again declared that the burden was MP
on the people who proposed this change to
show the necessity for it. He believed that
they had failed to show that necessity. Re-
| ferring To the fact of similar resolution
| having passed in the legislature Of 1915 and
the action of the legislature reversed the
next day (the incident recited by the gentle
man from East Machias), he said that the
action of the Senate on that occasion was the
best argument giinst the prop Ised resolve.
They had passed upon this question at thai
time, and then they had reflected upon ~
slept upon it, gave it due consideration; and
the result was that the day after they reversed
their action, thereby showing that they did
not deem it necessary to submit this question
to the people. He hoped the House wou'd
not accept the minority report.
| Mr.. Pettsngall of Pembroke, Mr.. 0Brien
of Thomaston, and Mr.. Noble of Lewiston,
addressed the House in further support OF tho
resolution, and Mr.. Dickey of Fort Kent
against it.
The question being on the adoption of the
substitute, Mr.. O'Brien called for the yeas
and nays, and the vote resulted as follows;
| YEA-Messrs. Alexander, Aver, Bennett. Billing.
Bishop, Bowker. Boynton, Bradish, Brown, BURNS
Chase OF Damari.coiia Chase of EdgecOmb, Csh
OF Calais, Condor, Doten, Farrar. FO-ter, u eene'
Greer. Hall, Hamilton Of Cumberland, iiorgan'Jss
ett keegan. kidder. kingsbury, Knapp, Levensae,,
| Libby Of Maitawankeag, Liitlefeld OF FRO pees
Lyons. Morrill,. O'BrIen, Nealey, Newbert, Noble
Parcher. Pattangal. Peiroe Poole, Purinton Of bow
doinham. Randall. Richards. Ross. Russell, san
born Of Standsh, Seaman, scott, Small, Syiyesa'
Talbot. Watts, Wedgewood, Weymouth "idp1
Virgin. Wiley, Wilson. William -5y. ~
| NAY-Messrs Adams. Alden, Barker, Beal, Btu
ley, BRYANT, Carleton, Clark Carbon CIHn no,
saoo. Cook. Gushing, Cats, DAWSON. Dek'y; p%
ity Dow, Eels. Engel, Ferguson, Field, Flo o.ss
FOgg, Friend. Clifford. Glover, Grinde, Hamn'V ~
OF Gouldsboro, Harding of Durham, Harding
Gorham. Harper. Harrington, Hawkes., hyu.s'
Head, H'rsey. Hobson, u odskins, Hunter. 1on''
Jordan,J udkns. Lombard, Looney, Lukin, hsn ns.
Marble. Marston. Mason. Moore oil Deering H p,sv
Purinton OF Bowdoin, Ray. Reynold', h nsss,
Roberts Of Brunswick. Roberts Of Dexter, k ds
Sanborn OF Island Fails, Sawyer. sh rp. S W
smith. Spinn.y. sturgis, Varney, Vaughn. m~
held. Walton, Warren of Buxton, Warren nnsv
Winsew. Waugh, Wentworth. whicomb, "A'